The League of Women Voters of Manatee County Government Committee observes Manatee County Commission meetings for items of interest to citizens and the League and notes adherence, or lack of adherence, to good governance procedures and the Sunshine Law. The following are the major points from the board’s regular meeting on 3/4/25.
Link to Agenda and Meeting Video
Invocation Reverend Brock Patterson, Longboat Island Chapel
Pledge of Allegiance Lee Washington, U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant (Veteran)
Announcements
Updates to Agenda – February 27, 2025, February 28, 2025, February 28, 2025, March 3, 2025
Port Authority
Approved consent agenda 7-0.
Awards/Presentations/
Presentation of the Team Member of the Month for March 2025
Katrina Ivory, Administrative Specialist with Public Safety/Emergency Communications, was lauded for her positive attitude which is infectious and inspirational to her teammates. She was described as the "Communications Center Mom."
Adoption of Resolution R-25-020, supporting the designation of U.S. 19 between Palm View Road and Terra Ceia Road as “Army Specialist Nicholas Panipinto Memorial Highway"
Nicholas Panipinto lost his life while training in the Army. Family members expressed appreciation for honoring Nicholas and that many laws have been passed to improve safety on military facilities after his death.
Confirmation of Appointment of Sarah Brown as the Director of Community and Veteran Services
Deputy County Administrator De Pol discussed Sarah Brown’s background and thanked Tracie Adams for serving as the interim director for the last two months.
Appointment of Sarah Brown approved 7-0.
Approval of Consent Agenda
Item 12 was pulled from the Consent Agenda by Commissioner Siddique.
Citizen Comments (Consent Agenda Items Only)
None
Consent Agenda approved 6-0. (Commissioner Ballard stepped away)
Citizen Comments on future agenda items
Dan, an owner of a retail store for sales of pets, apologized for the way that he handled things last year and requested that they move forward in a cooperative fashion.
Vallerie Guillory-Claar, Chairman of Trinity without Borders, a builder of affordable housing, wanted to thank the board. In 2018, a Palmetto county-owned property was conveyed to Trinity without Borders for affordable housing development. She invited the Commissioners to the groundbreaking ceremony in April.
Glen asked about the number of county-owned surplus lots. Commissioner Siddique stated he requested from staff a list of county-owned conforming and non-conforming lots. This information will be provided in April or May.
Advisory Board Comments and Updates – No updates
Item pulled from consent agenda
Item 12. Adoption of Budget Amendment Resolution B-25-042
This item is a reallocation of existing funds to the new Government Relations Department which will do economic development, grants, 311, and communications. County Administrator Bishop clarified that these are not “new” services; they are existing services that were the responsibility of different departments and are now centralized under a single department.
Commissioner Ballard noted that the added positions in the Government Relations Department are grant administrators who will potentially bring in more grant money to the County.
Approved 7-0
Regular Agenda Items
Administrator
Item 46. Manatee County Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-DR) Update
Stephanie Garrison, Director of Government Relations, stated that they are still awaiting notice on the $252 million grant, but have been told the amount has not changed. To date they have submitted 115 projects for $1 billion.
Property Management
Item 47. Presentation of details and options on how to bring Annie's Bait and Tackle Shop at Cortez Marina up to Code and enter into a lease agreement - District 3
Deputy County Administrator Bryan Parnell provided a summary of the status of Annie’s Bait and Tackle Shop. After a series of inspections by a licensed structural engineer, former building official, fire marshal and Florida Department of Emergency Management office, the consensus was that the building housing Annie’s suffered catastrophic damage rendering it unsafe for continued use and that the building cannot be salvaged in its current state. Renovation of the existing Annie's to meet current FEMA regulations requires the structure, including ADA compliant features such as elevators, ramps, etc., to be elevated 12-foot above base flood elevation. Preparing design, permitting and construction documents will take time and resources and approximately 24 months once a project team is in place.
The second option is to provide temporary structures on the site: food sales trailers, designated seating area, ADA compliant restrooms, and about 12 parking spaces. The cost range is between $150,000 - $250,000 and possibly more. If the Board directs staff to pursue this temporary option, they will work with the County Attorney Office to draft appropriate documents.
Commissioners asked numerous questions about why Annie’s is required to conform to current FEMA regulations and how can the “history” of Annie’s be maintained without keeping the structure.
Several public comments were made about Annie’s being more than a tackle shop but part of the community. Bruce, the proprietor of Annie’s, stated that the proposed temporary facility would not provide the necessary uses and space to be a successful business.
Motion to proceed with demolition of the facilities approved. 6-1. Commissioner Bearden voting no.
Public Works
Item 49. Manatee County U.S. 41 Beautification Project
A presentation was given of a study for beautification of a segment of U.S. 41. Challenges for the county will be streamlining processes and regulations, and using private and public funding. The requirements to build a new building, make an addition to an existing building, change appearance or add parking are onerous and expensive. Consequently, the area hasn’t been improved in 20 years.
There was no formal motion or vote, but the consensus was for staff to proceed with the study.
Sports and Leisure Services
Item 50. Appointment of Three Applicants to The Library Advisory Board
Three candidates were approved 7-0:
Christine Callahan, City of Bradenton; Patsy Ugarte, City of Palmetto; and Ashley Dawson, resident of Anna Maria Island.
Commissioner Agenda Items
Item 52. Refund of all $100 Civil Citations and any convenience fees from August 12, 2024, to February 5, 2025
Commissioner McCann stated it may be premature to ask for refunds. He then made a motion to amend the agenda so he could propose a different item. Approval to amend the agenda passed 7-0.
McCann felt the camera program is not serving its intended purpose and then made a motion to stop issuing citations effective March 6, 2025, and direct staff to pursue repeal of the ordinance and termination of the contract.
Staff provided data regarding the number of tickets between August and the previous day:
Commissioners Rahn and Siddique noted that many individuals are speeding through school zones and that tickets are not issued unless one is driving more that 10 miles per hour over the speed limit.
Motion to terminate the the RedSpeed contract approved 5-2. Commissioners Siddique and Rahn voting no.
Item 53. Discussion of citizen advisory board for consulting groups
Commissioner Bearden made a motion for constituents to have a voice in hiring consultants. After discussion, Bearden withdrew his motion.
Item 56. Amendment to Board Rules of Procedure
Commissioner Rahn had the County Attorney draft a motion concerning how the Board handles pulling items from the Consent Agenda.
After discussion, Rahn withdrew his motion
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David Daniels
This isn't the same set of meeting notes I received from the LWV. Why does TBT's leave out the concluding NOTES ON GOOD GOVERNANCE? In the email I received from the LWV, they conclude:
"During the discussion of Annie’s Bait Shop, Commissioner Bearden was emotional and disrespectful to his fellow commissioners. We applaud the commissioners that did comment with reasoned discussion of their positions and although empathetic, voted appropriately.
We appreciate the commissioners paying attention to having their microphones on and speaking into them."
Friday, March 7, 2025 Report this
mklimek
NPR/ WUSF reported yesterday that Musk was cutting HUD funds that had already been appropriated. Someone please tell commissioner Ballard. These things happen rather suddenly as we have seen.
Friday, March 7, 2025 Report this